FAR 7—Acquisition Planning

Scope of part.

FAR 7.000 states the scope of FAR Part 7 and tells readers what this part is for: it prescribes policies and procedures for developing acquisition plans, deciding whether to use commercial or Government resources to acquire supplies or services, determining whether leasing equipment is more economical than buying it, and identifying whether functions are inherently governmental. In practice, this part is the planning and sourcing framework that sits upstream of the actual solicitation and award process. It helps agencies make disciplined, supportable decisions about how to meet a need before they commit to a contract, task order, lease, or in-house performance. For contractors, it signals that many important acquisition outcomes are shaped early, during planning and make-or-buy analysis, not just during competition. For contracting officers and program officials, it establishes that these decisions must be made using prescribed policies and procedures rather than ad hoc judgment. The section is brief, but it points to several major acquisition policy areas that affect competition, cost, sourcing, and the proper division between governmental and contractor performance.

Subpart 7.1

Subpart 7.2

Subpart 7.3

Subpart 7.4

Subpart 7.5